Description
Sous Vide Limoncello. Why wait weeks when you can have your limoncello today? Homemade limoncello can be ready in hours thanks to sous vide, which speeds up the infusion of lemon into the alcohol.
Ingredients
Scale
- 750ml bottle of 190 proof grain alcohol (Everclear 190)
- Zest from 10 lemons
- 4.5 cups water (1050ml)
- 4.5 cups sugar (1050ml)
Instructions
- Filter the alcohol (optional): For a smoother limoncello, filter the alcohol through an activated charcoal water filter (I use a small Brita water filter pitcher). If you want it even smoother than that, you can filter it four times before continuing with the recipe.
- Zest the lemons: Wash and scrub the lemons. Zest the lemons, avoiding the bitter white pith. (I recommend a microplane zester). Wrap the lemons in plastic wrap and refrigerate for later use - they will last for a few weeks.
- Everything in the jar: Put the zest in a quart canning jar, pour in the alcohol, and screw on the lid. (Make it finger tight - it doesn't have to be clamped down, we're not going to submerge the jar.)
- Sous Vide Infuse for 3 hours at 135°F: Put the canning jar in the sous vide water tank. Add water to just below the jar's lid. (If the jar is entirely submerged, it will float around.) Sous vide at 135°F/57°C for 3 hours. Strain the alcohol through a fine-mesh strainer, then through a paper coffee filter to remove all the lemon zest.
- Make the simple syrup: When the alcohol is almost done infusing, put the water in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar and keep stirring until it dissolves. Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest until the infused alcohol is ready.
- Mix, freeze, and serve: Mix the alcohol and simple syrup, then divide into jars or bottles. Limoncello can be stored at room temperature for a year or two (it will start losing flavor after a year). You can drink it right away, but it is better if you let it mellow for a week before drinking, especially if you didn’t filter the alcohol. Limoncello is best ice cold, so I store it in the freezer to keep it chilled. (It doesn’t freeze because of the alcohol.) Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
Would you like to save this recipe?
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 ounces
- Calories: 113
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 1.2 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.2 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg